Eclipse Requiem

The tunnels beneath **Astra City** stretched endlessly, a labyrinth of forgotten passages and abandoned stations. The deeper Kael and Lyra ventured, the colder and more unnatural the air became.

Kael's grip on his dagger tightened as he stepped over a rusted rail. "This place feels… wrong."

"That's because it is," Lyra muttered, scanning the dim surroundings. "The **Aether Ruins** were once part of the city's underground transport system. Then the Veilborn took over, and no one dared to reclaim it."

Kael could see why. The stone walls were cracked, twisted by some **unnatural force**. Strange **symbols** were etched into the surfaces, glowing faintly with an eerie purple light.

A soft whisper **brushed past his ear**.

Kael spun around, heart pounding—but there was nothing. Only shadows stretching in the flickering torchlight.

He swallowed. "Did you hear that?"

Lyra's face was grim. "Yeah."

They pressed on.

The further they went, the more the whispers grew. They weren't just random sounds—Kael could almost make out **words**, spoken in a language he didn't understand.

Then, suddenly—

**The torches flickered out.**

Total darkness swallowed them.

Kael felt his breath catch. "Lyra—"

"Stay close!" her voice came from beside him, sharp and alert.

Kael tensed, reaching for his Eclipse Seal, unsure if he could call upon its power willingly.

Then—**light**.

Not from the torches.

From the walls.

The symbols burned **brighter**, casting the tunnel in an eerie glow. And standing in the center of the passage—

Was a figure.

A **woman**, wrapped in flowing black robes, her face concealed beneath a hood. Her **eyes** gleamed silver, reflecting the glow of the runes.

"Outsiders," she said, her voice **layered**—as if multiple voices spoke at once.

Kael instinctively stepped in front of Lyra. "We're here to speak with the **Veilborn**."

The woman tilted her head. "And why would we entertain such a request?"

Kael forced himself to remain steady. He pulled the **sealed letter** from his cloak and held it up. "Joren sent us."

The woman stared at the letter, then slowly extended her hand. The parchment **vanished** into the air as if consumed by shadow.

A long silence followed.

Then—she turned.

"Follow."

Kael and Lyra exchanged a glance before stepping forward.

They passed deeper into the ruins, the air growing thick with an **unnatural presence**. The whispers around them became louder—this time, Kael **understood** them.

*"He has arrived."*

*"The Marked One walks among us."*

*"The Eclipse has returned."*

Kael's pulse quickened.

Soon, they entered a **massive underground chamber**.

At its center was an **obsidian altar**, surrounded by hooded figures. Strange relics and glowing stones floated above it, pulsating with an **otherworldly** energy.

The robed woman stepped forward, facing the altar. "You have come seeking knowledge."

Kael nodded. "I need to know what this mark means."

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing the **Eclipse Seal**.

The moment he did, the whispers **stopped**.

The entire room fell into an eerie silence.

Then, the woman **laughed**.

It was a chilling sound, one that sent a shiver down Kael's spine.

"You bear the mark of the Eclipse," she said. "And yet… you do not even know what it is."

Kael clenched his fists. "Then tell me."

The woman stepped closer, her silver eyes **locking** onto his.

"The Eclipse Seal is not a **gift**," she said softly. "It is a **curse**. A mark of those who have touched the Abyss and lived."

Kael's breath caught. "The Abyss?"

The woman nodded. "Long ago, a warrior wielded this same power. A warrior who challenged the **gods themselves**."

Kael's eyes widened. "You mean someone like me existed before?"

The woman's gaze darkened. "Yes. And do you know what became of him?"

Kael swallowed. "...What?"

She leaned in.

"He **destroyed** everything."

The words hit Kael like a punch to the gut.

Destroyed? What did that mean?

The woman straightened. "The Celestial Church does not hunt you because they fear what you might become. They hunt you because they **know** what you will become."

Kael's mind swirled with questions.

But before he could speak—

The room **shook**.

A deep, **thunderous roar** echoed through the ruins. The torches **shattered**, plunging the chamber into pure darkness.

Then—

A **glowing eye** opened in the shadows.

A voice—low, resonant, and **ancient**—spoke.

*"Prove yourself, Eclipse Bearer."*

Kael's body froze.

Because in that moment, he realized—

The **Veilborn** hadn't brought him here to answer his questions.

They had brought him here to **test** him.

And whatever lay in the darkness—

Was coming for him.

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